The Tempest
by Vegsiol
Summary: 01.08.2011 - 67th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, one of the most painful occurences in Poland's history. How will Feliks and his daughter spend this day? What kind of memories will it bring to both of them?


**01.08.2011, 04.20 p.m.**

A day was hot as hell. The sun stood high on the sky, not even a single cloud spoiling the pure and intensive azure. The people crossing through the Main Square of the Old Town looked tired and nervous – the tension could be clearly sensed in the air. A blonde, long-haired figure in the green dress stood next to the statue of the Mermaid. She looked impatient.

"Late as usual" murmured to herself "After more than one thousand years of living he could finally learn how to be on time"

The hair, left to hung freely, annoyed the neck. The woman thought she would gladly solve the problem and just cut them. She opened her elegant, yellow handbag and took a hairpin out.

"Katarzyna, just leave it like that. Your hair are just too beautiful to tie it up" The man, with the green eyes identical to her own, appeared in front of her. He pulled a huge bouquet of flowers out from behind of his back and grinned "For you, princess. Sorry for being late".

His honest, wide smile made her give up immediately. This is how Feliks Łukasiewicz is – you can never be angry with him for long.

"You could at least call" Katarzyna accepted the gift, sniffing. The smell of it and hot weather made her feel dizzy "Especially that you were the one to ask me for the meeting"

Feliks touched his pockets with the confused look on his face, obviously looking for the mobile phone "I have probably left the phone at home" He have suddenly perked up back "Do you like the flowers I brought you, Kasia? I have seen this old lady selling it on the Nowy Świat and thought…."

"Why did you ask me for a meeting today, father? Why do you insist so much on spending the 1st of August together for almost 67 years?"

Feliks' face has turned serious. Seeing sudden pain in his eyes, Katarzyna regretted her words and harsh tone.

"You shouldn't be alone during this day, Warsaw. You can always count on me, remember. We are family after all" almost unconsciously, Poland looked at the Mermaid's statue, always proudly raising her sword and shield.

**_Anno Domini 1300_**

"_Did you hear that?" He asked his Czech brother._

"_Hear what?"_

_Feliks slipped down from the saddle and stood still, listening intently. They were close to a river, a thick bunch of trees still blocking the view, but the rush of the running water clearly audible. Pole has moved toward this direction, walking slowly like a sleep-walker. He started going deeper into the green thicket, observed by confused Jiri and the rest of the hunting group. Soon he disappeared from their sight completely and stepped on the soft sand of the Vistula riverbank. Poland stood there, absolutely confused. He would bet he heard…a singing. A strange singing that was attracting him. That was calling, begging him to come and embrace the fate. But now it was gone. He couldn't hear it anymore. Suddenly he felt incredibly stupid. "What actually am I doing? Chasing voices? Come on, Feliks, don't tell me you went insane!" He rapped his head with his fists. "Maybe it's all Jiri's doing? He probably put something inside my water, wanting to repay me for the yesterday's evening? Yeah, that must be it" He has turned away, ready to come back to the hunting group and his brother, but he has suddenly caught a glimpse of something. A fishing boat? It was drifting down the river, quite close to the riverbank, showing no sign of the living thing on the board. Why was it here? Had it been lost by a fisherman living somewhere near? Feliks rushed toward this direction, trying to catch up with the boat "Why won't you just let it be? Why do you care so much about a BOAT?" He didn't know it himself, but he had this strange feeling, crawling somewhere deep inside of his heart, that if he doesn't get to this boat, he will be damned. That his future depends on it. So he jumped into the river. The stream tried to push him off, but Feliks desperately tried to fight it. And he has managed finally, catching the side, pulling himself up and turning somersault right inside the boat. Panting for breath and exhausted, he looked up. Right into the green eyes, tucked into the small, chubby face. The face that has suddenly brighten up and started cooing, apparently trying to say something very important to him. "A baby?" Feliks didn't have enough time to think about his new discovery, as he has heard the shouts from the side of the riverbank_.

"_Feliks! Feliks, you DAMN IDIOT! Where are you?"_

_The hunting party appeared on the riverbank, looking around for him. Poland rose to his feet and waved to them._

"_Here, here! Help me with getting this boat to the bank! There are no paddles!"_

_When after 15 minutes of the hunting party sweating over getting the boat to the riverbank Poland fell out of the board, Jiri grabbed him by the shoulders and growled right into his face:_

"_You stupid, little kid! I should smack your Polish ass! What were you thinking disappearing without a word! What were you doing in the middle of the river anyway? Wha…." Jiri looked down "…t is that? " The baby in Feliks' arms cooed, smiling brightly at the Czech man._

_Poland looked down at the little creature as well. He wasn't sure what to respond. Where had this baby come from? Why had it been on the boat? And this odd feeling of having a bond with this child? He just couldn't explain it to his brother. He didn't know the answers himself, so how could he give them to Jiri? Besides….the issue of the baby's fate…He couldn't just leave it here, could he? Should he look for the biological parents? Or maybe…The idea has struck him like a thunderbolt. He has decided. Feliks looked up at the Czech man, grinning joyfully._

"_It's your niece. Say hello to Warsaw"_

**04.30 p.m.**

They had moved from the Old Town's Square and very soon approached the Royal Castle. Feliks looked up at the Sigismund's Column with a smile and waved to the stone figure standing at the very top of it. The king was towering over them. Observing the citizens carefully every day, he held the saber in one hand and the cross in another.

"The old, good Zygmuś. Always too strict and too stubborn to give up."

Warsaw also eyed the first Polish king from the Vasa dynasty.

"Gave me a hard time" She snorted "I wouldn't have been treated like a bastard for a very long time, if it hadn't been because of him. The old jerk has suddenly felt like moving his court to my place and brought me all of the troubles connected to being a capital"

"Why so bitter words, Kasia?" They sat on the few stairs leading to the Column and started observing people who were gathering around it. Sigismund's statue sometimes served as the popular place of meetings "What has happened later in the future wasn't his fault" Feliks touched her hand which was resting on her lap and squeezed it gently. Warsaw let him do that. She could feel the warmth sifting from his body and heartening her. Even if she was trying to play unapproachable and cold, she couldn't help, but feel the need of another person's closeness and support. Especially now. Especially today. She leaned against him, putting their arms together. Surrounded by the nervous and garrulous crowd, the father and daughter were sitting together in silence, Katarzyna's hand still in Feliks' own. Until one of the shadows has appeared. The small boy was running among the living, lost and looking for the way. He was holding the bag full of letters. Warsaw looked at him with eyes lacking any emotion. She has seen him so many, many times, always in the same day, always at the same hour. Feliks has noticed him too and his face freezed.

"Do you remember…" He started, trying to distract her "…how you had been scared the day before Sigismund arrived with his court? You weren't sure if you manage to satisfy him. You came to me that night. You used to come every time you were scared or troubled. And the only thing I could do to calm you down were story-telling"

**_Anno Domini 1596_**

"_Can't sleep?" Feliks murmured into her hair. Warsaw nodded, the face still buried in her father's shirt. As a response, Poland has hugged her tighter "Does something trouble you, Katarzyno?"_

_Warsaw has freed herself from Feliks' arms and has leaned on her elbow. She looked into her father's eyes, green, identical to her own ones. He looked tired after the long journey, but he was doing his best to not fall asleep and to listen to her. Kasia has suddenly felt like the most important girl in the world. The very center of Feliks' world._

"_Cracow mocks me"_

"_What do you mean?" Poland rubbed his eyes and tried to stifle a yawn. He has failed. Katarzyna looked at him with a reproach._

"_Calls me a bastard. Says I'm not really your daughter and I don't have the right to host the court and the king. Is that true, daddy?" Feliks has almost choked finally getting the meaning of his daughter's words. He couldn't believe his own ears._

"_Cracow is just jealous, princess" Poland has made a promise to himself to speak with his former capital. Seriously."Moving the court makes him feel lonely and angry. That's why he comes up with such stories. There is no truth in them, you are and you always will be my daughter" He stroked her head. His words must have calmed her down a bit, as Warsaw nodded and buried her nose back in Poland's shirt. They stayed like that, Feliks embracing little Katarzyna and humming a lullaby silently into her ear. He was falling asleep again, when Warsaw's voice has brought him back to reality._

"_Daddy? Will you tell me a story?"_

_Feliks sighed. "Here we go again" he thought._

"_A story?"_

"_You know what I mean, daddy. A story about the ancient heroes!"_

"_The ancient heroes, you say…Maybe I should ask Feliciano or Greece, they know a lot of nice stories from their pa…." Poland tried to save himself from his daily duty of story-telling. He always failed. Every time it was possible, he left that job to poor Lithuania, who could do nothing, but blush and cough with confusion in the face of Warsaw's demanding questions. But now Liet was nowhere around._

_Katarzyna frowned "I don't want neither uncle Italy nor uncle Greece. I want YOU to tell me a story!"_

_Feliks gave up._

"_All right. So…hmmm…." He looked up at the canopy of the bed. The chamber was absolutely silent, not even a sound spoiling the atmosphere "There was the king of Sparta, called Leonidas…"_

"_Where is Sparta?" Warsaw has interrupted him, padding around comfortably on the bed._

"_In Greece. So, he was a very warlike and brave king. His people as well. They have been raised this way. The very bad people from Persia…"_

"_Where is Persia?"_

"_On the east from Greece. It doesn't exist anymore. So, Persians have invaded the entire Greece…"_

"_Don't sleep, dad!" Katarzyna has poked him ruthlessly in the ribs._

"…_The king Leonidas has decided to stop the intruders and save his country. He gathered his best man and fought Persians in the place called Thermopylae…" _

**04.40 p.m.**

More shadows have appeared, weaving their way through the crowd. Feliks tried to ignore them, but still he knew it was absolutely pointless. Soon they will start again their never-ending battle and nothing can change it – they used to do it in the past, for almost 67 years and will still be doing it in the future. He sighed and looked at the remnants of the original shaft of the Column, laying in the distance. Then he eyed the one which was standing behind him and pointing right into the sky. It looked exactly like the old one, but Feliks was no fool. He knew that the shape doesn't really matter if the spirit is broken. The statue of Sigismund III Vasa has survived the fall, but at the same time it has lost its' saber. When everyone believed it's over, it has rised from the ashes, just like the rest of the city, but nothing was the same anymore. Now the king, once so victorious and proud of his hussars, resembles the old man stooping his shoulders.

**_Anno Domini 1609_**

"_Dimitri gives Moscow hard time with his siege, but Russia has managed to contact Sweden anyway and make an alliance with him. Together they will try to lift the blockade of Moscow, I suppose. We need to react somehow, otherwise this alliance can…" Toris has interrupted and looked at him, confused "Feliks? Are you listening to me?"_

"_Yeah, sure, continue" Poland waved at the Lithuanian carelessly. He had leaned on the windowsill and now, with a smile of a proud daddy, was observing the children playing in the garden outside: little Vilnius, scared for his life, was running away, swinging his hands wildly in every direction. He has been chased by Warsaw on the horse, who had created some kind of frame with the feathers sticked to it and had attached it to her back. She has been swinging a long stick around and screaming enthusiastically. _

"_Feliks, this is really important…" Toris began again, but Katarzyna has suddenly attracted his attention, yelling: "Haha! I'm the winged hussar! Invincible! Die, you Moskal!"_

_Lithuania's jaw dropped and he hurried outside to defend his own capital. The girl squeaked as she has been pulled off down and spanked in the bottom. Seeing this, Feliks blazed with anger and dashed out of the house as well._

"_How can you beat her! She's just a girl!" He yelled at friend, taking Warsaw abruptly from his hands._

"_She was chasing after my son! Look how scared he is!" Vilnius peeped distrustfully out of Lithuania's legs and put out his tongue to Katarzyna._

"_So? This was just a play, don't exaggerate!" Both of them, the father and the daughter, pouted at the same time, in the same way. Toris' face told them that he's doing his best to not burst with laugh._

**04.50 p.m.**

They have passed the main gate of the University, feeling faint as the tension in the air went up in the last few minutes. It was almost unbearable, just like the heat and the shadows walking around aimlessly. Feliks has wiped the sweat out of his forehead with the hand and looked at the watch.

"_Ten minutes. Only ten minutes and it will be over"_

He turned eyes back to his daughter and smiled happily as he payed more attention to her green dress. It has been a long time since she wore something more lady-like.

"Why did you decide to give your jeans and T-shirts up today, princess? That's very unusual for you"

Katarzyna looked up at him, surprised by the sudden change of topic. She shrugged.

"Just wanted to be nice. I know you like when I wear dresses and all of this women stuff"

"Indeed, you look really beautiful then. The ordinary clothes just take your charm away"

"But they are very comfortable" Warsaw smoothed her dress out nervously.

"I can't really understand this radical change of fancy. Do you remember how every man wooed you? Even France…."

"Don't remind of this pervert"

**_Anno Domini 1807_**

"_Ah, mon cherie Pologne, I'm so glad you finally got your own country! After these awful Partitions!" Francis kept twittering for at least an hour, making Feliks more and more irritated "After so many years! Aren't you happy too?"_

_Poland mumbled something right into his glass of wine, something that sounded like 'Gdańsk' and "Belostok Oblast'. He noticed with anxiety that France's eyes has suddenly shone. Katarzyna was going down the stairs. Young woman, as she was now, looked beautiful this evening: the golden-green dress suited her eyes and hair, which had been mold into the sophisticated hairstyle. Moving with grace and giving every guest a charming smile, she approached two nations quite fast._

"_Oh no…" Feliks groaned silently under his breath._

"_Ah, Varsovie! What a pleasant surprise!" Francis grabbed woman's hand and passionately placed a wet kiss on it, in the last moment turning it to the palm, much to Poland's horror "Beautiful as usual"_

"_Merci, Monsieur Francis" She smiled at him, but her eyes remained indifferent._

"_I was just talking with your father about your newly established state. Isn't it wonderful that you can finally come back on the great arena of world's politics?"_

"_Indeed. And everything thanks to you, Monsieur Francis. I'm sure my father is very grateful" Katarzyna sent Feliks a look full of understanding and consolation. She knew how he was feeling about this whole Duchy of Warsaw. It wasn't a real independence – under a thick layer of pretence, they were still marionettes of France and Napoleon. It hurt Feliks' pride. Badly._

"_But enough of politics! We cannot bore young lady with such topics! Mademoiselle Varsovie, can I ask you for a dance?"_

"_Sure..." Francis pushed his glass of wine in Feliks' hand, not even noticing Polish man's indignant face and pulled Katarzyna to the dance-floor. But before they started, Warsaw had winked at her father and mouthed to him: "Don't worry, dad. Everything is gonna be alright"_

_Everything is going to be alright. _

**05.00 p.m.**

The hooters howled. At the same time the tension in the air has reached its' climax and the sky has been torn apart by a ligtening. Feliks felt heavy raindrops on his face. Something has also changed in the shadows' behaviour: previously lost and disorientated, now they seemed to finally find their goal. They started running, fighting, killing, falling down, vanishing and raising up from the ashes again – just like they used to do it every summer for almost 67 years. There were thousands of them, filling every street and square of the city, but only two people could really see them. Feliks' grabbed Katarzyna's hand.

"Come" he said "We need to take shelter from the tempest"

They ran too, vanishing in the rainstorm and the proceeding darkness that came with it.

**Notes:**  
>1. "Nowy Świat" (The New World) is the street in the center of Warsaw. It's full of quite expensive restaurants.<br>2. 1st of August 1944 - the day ich which the Warsaw Uprising (a part of the general operation "Tempest", organised by the Polish resistance Home Army) has begun. The people of Warsaw vs Nazis. It has lasted 63 days and it was a pure hell - the entire city has been destroyed. After that Warsaw has never been the same.  
>This is how Warsaw looked like after the Urpising:<br>.com/watch?v=Cxb5H77wYt0&feature=related  
>3. Mermaid's statue - there is a legend about Warsaw's origins. It says about a love between a Mermaid called Sawa and a fisherman called Wars. Another version of this legend says that a prince Siemowit was hunting in a forest, but it had become very late, so he had found shelter in a house of villagers Wars and Sawa. Thankful, he gave them a land, where they were living, as a gift.<br>4. Czech - he's on the hunt with Feliks, because in the year of 1300 (probably this is the year when Warsaw has got its' location first) Wenceslaus II Premyslid from Czech Republic was also a king of Poland.  
>5. Sigismund III Vasa - a king of Poland, he unnofficialy moved a capital from Cracow to Warsaw in 1596<br>6. "he was holding a bag full of letters" - during the Warsaw Uprising young boys were usually messengers  
>7. "Calls me a bastard. Says I'm not really your daughter and I don't have the right to host the court and the king" - Warsaw officialy wasn't a capital, but merely a king's residence until the Partitions of Poland. It has got an official status of capital only in XIX century. Nevertheless, the king used to stay there permanently since 1596. And about Cracow, the previous capital...Well, usually Warsaw and Cracow mock each other, even today . There is always a rivalry between these two cities .<br>7. Thermopylae - this is not connected directly to Warsaw, but this express perfectly Polish mentality: "Fight until the last man". This kind of mentality led directly to the Warsaw Uprising. Besides, there was also a Battle of Wizna, often called "The Polish Thermopylae": Between 7th and 10th of September 1939 about 720 Poles fought against 42 200 Nazis.  
>8. "The statue of Sigismund III Vasa has survived the fall, but at the same time it has lost its' saber" - I have discovered that there was a certain superstition: The city of Warsaw will be doomed if Sigismund loose his saber. During the Warsaw Uprising the Column of Sigismund has fallen, loosing both its' saber and cross.<br>9. "it has rised from the ashes, just like the rest of the city" - Warsaw used to be called "The phoenix city"  
>10. 1609, the siege of Moscow - During the Russian Time of Troubles, False Dimitri II (there was also False Dimitri I, both unofficially supported by Poland) has claimed to be a son of tsar Ivan the Terrible and started a siege of Moscow, fighting for the Russian throne.<br>11. 1807 - the Duchy of Warsaw (officially independent, but in reality it has been placed under the command of France) has been established by Napoleon Bonaparte.  
>12. Gdańsk and Belostok Oblast - Bonaparte was strong enough at that time to negotiate for Poland these two places from Prussia and Russia. He didn't do it. Especially the loss of Gdańsk (Danzig) was very painful: it used to be a very important city for Poland's economy and its' export of grain.<br>13. Warsaw and France - I based this pairing on the love between Napoleon and young Polish lady, Maria Walewska. She loved him (she even visited him when he has been banished to Elba), but she also cared for her country's interests and tried to make Napoleon care for Poland too. Their descendants still live.  
>14. hooters: every year, in the 1st of August, hooters howl in Warsaw exactly at 5 p.m. - this is the hour when the Uprising has begun.<p> 


End file.
